What It Means To Be Brave
by chromedove
Summary: Oliver is taken from prison by a man who seems to take pleasure in others pain. When he encounters Artemis, the abused daughter of his captor, he will do anything to help her escape. Rated T for violence and abuse (might go higher,, not sure yet)
1. Taken

Oliver sighed, he was alone in his tiny little cell. After months of trying to pair him with a cell mate that wouldn't try to hurt him because of him being the Green Arrow, it seemed they finally gave up.

It was better this way. After months of torment from his fellow inmates, he enjoyed the solitude. He would still count down the minutes until visiting hours so he could see his wife and son. Time passed excruciatingly slow here, in many ways Oliver felt his mind slipping from his grasp.

 _One more hour... then 24 more. I can survive that_.

Hard combat boots approached the cell doors, pulling Oliver out of his thoughts. Oliver looked up to see a guard with a tall, muscular bonde prisoner. The blonde had contorted his face in a evil grin, causing Oliver to inwardly cringe.

 _This isn't going to end well._

"This is your new roommate. Harsh punishment will be administered if any attempt of harm is taken. This goes for the both of you." The guard had stated in a monotonous voice, as if he couldn't care less what happened to either of them. The blonde stepped into the cell, eyes not wavering from Oliver, still with the smirk on his face.

"The famous Oliver Queen! I thought you would be bigger in person, considering your night job." He winked, "The names Lawrence Crock, AKA Sportsmaster, it's a pleasure to meet you." His hand extended, expecting to meet Olivers.

Oliver sat on his bed, ignoring his new roommate. "I think it's safe for me to assume it's not a pleasure for me."

Lawrence laughed and set his bedding on his bed. "That assumption can save your life in here."

Oliver watched the clock outside his room.

 _Thirty minutes to visiting hours. Then I can see my wife and son._

It was worth it, to know that his Arrow family are taken care of. He makes the sacrifices so that others don't have to go through it.

"Got visitors coming?" Oliver just nodded, but Lawrence took it as a way to continue talking. "Ah, what I would give to see my daughter's! They would never come, they hate my guts. I don't blame them either. I'll see them again soon though. You, on the other hand, won't see yours for a while."

Oliver eyed the man across from him, his look was sinister. Oliver's body tensed, and he prepared for Crock to make a move. Instead, he sat there on his bed, hands in his lap. "Looks like I finally got your attention. Don't flatter yourself, though, Pretty Boy. I'm not just here for you, you're just an added bonus."

A massive BOOM shook the entire building, cement dust fell from the ceiling from the blast. Chaos erupted in the cells, yelling from the prisoners and guards overwhelmed the senses. Oliver reacted quickly staring out the bars, trying to see what was going on. Crock just turned to his bed, not interested

"I suggest you don't fight what is about to happen. My dear friends should have an eye on Felicity and William by now. I would hate to see something happen to them. This isn't their fight." The ex-vigilante turned to a knife at his face, he slowly raised his hands up. He knew, if there was any chance of Felicity and William getting hurt... He couldn't make that risk. The prison door slid open, and Crock motioned the knife for him to move. Oliver turned slowly and walked out the door, Crock with the knife edging into his back. They met others in the hall, a couple of prisoners were with a knife to their back, like Oliver. Others were the ones holding the knifes. A guard came through the door, with a gun in her hand. Crock released the pressure on Olivers back and raised his arms to welcome the young woman.

"Ah! My baby girl! How's it going sweetheart?" Crock smiled widely, as if he was genuinely excited to see her. The girl rolled her eyes, and tossed the gun to the side, taking a sai from one of the other prisoners.

"Don't pretend like you care, Dad. I'm not here because of you, I am here because it's a job to do. And you just so happened to be apart of it." She pushed a long strand of her black hair out of the way.

"Oh, come on, Jade!" Oliver weighed his options, it was easy to maneuver himself to take the knife from Crock. Before Oliver could do anything, Crock turned to him and yanked on his sleeve. "Fine, we are running out of time. Let's move."

Crock led him down a hall that usually filled him with hope, but this time Oliver was filled with dread. The white walls of the prison felt like they were closing in as they got closer and closer to the visiting room. All around them sounded like a war zone, but his ears were bubbles, and everything sounded miles away. Each step was him sinking into a swimming pool of jello.

 _Ten minutes to visiting hours... Please don't be there._

The group of cons marched down the halls, weapons ready for any guard brave enough to cross them, taking them down with ease. Lawrence Crock could sense the unease in his captive, in his line of work he became good at feeding off the nervous energy of his captives. As they approached the visiting room, as much as Oliver tried to hide it, his body tensed. Crock suddenly halted, pulling Oliver back onto his chest.

"Dad, what the hell are you doing? We have a helicopter to catch to get the hell out of here!" Jade yelled at her father, her tone even more impatient than before as she swiveled on her heel to face them.

"Mr. Queen has an appointment he is so desperate to catch. I'll meet you up there," Crocks voice was calm, but had cruel intentions. Jade made an exasperated sound and turned around to keep moving.

"We leave in five minutes. I can't wait to leave you here."

Crock pushed him through the door of the visiting room. The room was empty on the inmate side of the glass, but on the other side of the bullet proof glass was Felicity and William, accompanied by a muscular man with a gun. Oliver's stomach fell, his throat was closing up, his mind was racing. The facts were, there was nothing he could do to help them. If he did anything to harm Crock, the man with his family would retaliate. Crock smiled wide, his eyes filled with excitement. William tears streaming down his face, hugged Felicity tight, as she was trying to keep her emotions in check. It wasn't working, Oliver could always tell her emotions, she was rattled by everything going on in the prison. Crock grabbed Oliver by his collar and pushed his face into the cool white table. He pointed at Felicity and motioned for her to come, grabbing the inmate phone with his free hand. The man separated William from Felicity, and guided her to the opposing side of the glass and handed her the phone.

"Mrs. Queen, I thought you might want to say goodbye to your husband. Let's just say, he's taking a vacation from this prison right now, and I thought it wouldn't be right without a proper farewell. I'm a family man, you see." He smiled generously.

"Don't you dare hurt him, you hear me! If you so much as touch a hair on his head, I'll-" Her voice was shaky.

"Spare me the whole Liam Neeson speech, sweetheart" He said, pulling the phone from his ear to Oliver's.

"Are you guys okay? He didn't hurt you, right?" Oliver's voice was strained. Felicity shook her head.

"We are fine, but we need you to get out of this. Okay, Oliver? It's bad enough we had to go with you in supermax, but now-" Her voice broke as a tear fell down her face. "Leaving us isn't an option. You understand me?" Oliver nodded as much as he could with Crocks hand on his head. His mouth was too dry to respond. He cleared his throat.

"I love you, Felicity. We made it too far to let anyone come between us." Crock pushed his head down more as he grabbed the phone from Oliver's ear.

"How heartfelt, truly moving." His gravelly voice showed no sign of emotion. "But what is a goodbye, without giving you something to remember him by?"

He pulled the phone away from his mouth and spoke to Oliver quietly. "I suggest you don't fight what I am about to do, or else your wife and kid will both get it done to them." He slammed the phone on the hook as the man on the other side put Felicity in a hold to make her watch, William was screaming to let her go. Oliver already made his decision as he let his body relax slightly to the hand on his head. Crock pulled on of his left hand up to the table and brought down his knife to Olivers ring finger.

It happened so fast that he couldn't even process it, there wasn't pain at first. He could see his wife struggling against her captor, he couldn't hear her without the phone, but he knew that they were both screaming. Then the nausea his him like a ton of bricks as he realized his finger was just... _gone._ He felt the cold table against his open wound. He wouldn't give his captor the satisfaction of knowing that he caused him pain, so he internalized it, and pushed as far down as he could.

Crock signaled to his guy in with Felicity and he left them as Oliver was yanked up and pulled out the door. It was all blurred for him, as he was lead to a stairway that lead to the helicopter. Shots were fired a couple of times, but he couldn't notice who was doing the shooting. Booms rattled the prison, as the world around him fell to chaos. He felt he must have blacked out a bit, because before he knew it he was being ushered into the helicopter. Jade swiveled her head and eyes to his severed finger. She shook her head and muttered something about how he just couldn't help himself, as they took off into the air.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Felicity recounted what had happened for what felt like the billionth time. She was tired of talking about it, she needed to do something about it. Team Arrow, if could even be called that anymore, was silent for a while after she told them what happened. At least she knew that they would be more responsive than the police, that was the great thing about vigilantes, the paperwork didn't get in the way of the rescuing.

"Okay, so how do we find Oliver and hunt down this asshole?" Renee asked, breaking the silence. Felicity sighed in relief, finally, taking action.

"I'm running his face through every single camera I can get my hands on, if he so much as takes a stroll, I should be able to find him. I also found him in several police databases and am trying to find bank statements to see if anything comes up that way as well. We are dealing with Lawrence Crock, alias is Sportsmaster. He has been charged with assault, drug dealing, selling illegal weapons, and essentially being a mob leader. He does have ties with the league, but nothing recently that I see." Felicity reported to her colleagues.

"Looks like we need to train a bit more." Dinah said, gently putting her hand on Felicity's shoulder. "Thanks Felicity, you should get back to William, we will keep an eye on the program and let you know if anything comes up." She just nodded as they heading to train, leaving her with her thoughts in her hub in the Arrow lair.

She wanted more than anything to go and comfort William, but Felicity had no idea how. Being a mom is so new, how is she supposed to comfort him, when she hardly knew how to comfort herself? Sportsmaster cut off Oliver's finger to make a point that he was in control, and William witnessed that. After his own mother, and his father going to jail, Felicity already felt overwhelmed. But now with the idea that he is gone with a psycho control freak and that he might actually die or be dead any minute... The thought made her feel sick. William needs her, and she needs him.

After stewing for a bit, Felicity grabbed her jacket to go home to William. If the new Team Arrow was on it, she knew Oliver was in good hands.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading the first chapter of my first published story! Constructive criticism is very helpful, and I appreciate any (kind) notes you are willing to give me. This story is something that has been on my mind for a while, and I thought I would share it.**


	2. Trapped

Artemis slammed her fist into the padded wall of her isolation room. Despite the look of the comfortable wall, it hurt like hell. She didn't care, though. She was pissed, not just at her father, but at herself.

"You just had to get sucked back in, didn't you." Artemis sighed, she rubbed her eyes. Exhaustion filled her to her bones, and her muscles ached. For a second, she thought that maybe this wouldn't be such a bad thing... Being on the streets did take its toll, at least here she knew what to expect, but out there nothing ever was known.

"Ugh, just SHUT UP" Artemis screamed, rubbing her temples. Whatever the goons her dad sent used to knock her out had to be messing with her head. Her eyes burned and watered, as she curled herself up into a ball on the floor. Her body melted into the ground, sending her into a deep sleep.

Artemis found herself in a dream. No, not just dreams, memories. Artemis' room was beat up. The Alice in Wonderland just barely covered the hole in the wall. And Jade's side of the room was bare. She sat on her bed, staring at where her sister should be. It was just last week when things had went to shit, first her mom, then Jade. She was all alone... With him. Artemis didn't blame Jade when she left, she only wished she had taken her too. She could hear her dad stumbling his way in, after celebrating whatever he just stole or reward he got from the league.

"ARTEMISSSS" He hissed out the last part of her name, as he stumbled to her open door. She watched him as he dropped onto Jade's bed.

"Yes, dad?" Artemis eyed him cautiously, as he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Very rarely did her father just lay down when he was drunk, he usually got violent.

"I wish Jade was here," Artemis could hear the sadness in his voice, it wasn't something she heard. Ever. But then his demeanor changed entirely, and he just chuckled, "But I got stuck with you! Hopeless, useless little Artemis. I would try to get rid of you, but nobody would take you!"

Artemis turned her head away as a hot tears threatened to spill as he roared in laughter. She had to think of something to respond with. She grinned as she thought of her reply.

"Look, if I wanted to hear from an asshole, all I had to do is fart." Artemis eyed her father, her face completely serious as her father stopped laughing and glared at her. It couldn't have been more than thirty seconds, but it felt like an hour. Then her father stood up and he roared in laughter. She breathed out, not realizing she was holding it.

"You gotta work on that, baby girl. It doesn't quite have the sting I'm looking for."

Her dream shifted to before she was captured by her dad, again. She was curled up on a small little cardboard square in the middle of a rancid smelling alley in the middle of Gotham. Her skinny body shivered, as she thought to herself this is only temporary, the job at the store should help...

The noises never stopped in Gotham, police sirens and horns honking were its anthem. But this time, a young woman's scream not to far from her pierced her ears. Artemis grabbed her bow and arrow she stole from her father and bolted toward the sound.

She turned the corner to see the situation being handled by none other that Robin, Batman's little sidekick. The woman, was clutching her purse close to her chest, cowering against the wall. Four men circled the small, rail thin boy. If he wasn't so famous, Artemis would have thought he would've gotten pummeled on the first punch pulled. Despite his superior fighting skills, he was still outnumbered.

Artemis rushed to the woman, who was wearing fancy work pants and a button up blouse. _She must be new to Gotham, anyone who lives and works here knows the dangers of this area._

"You alright? Not the best place to take a stroll, here take this." Artemis shook off her dirty scarf and draped it around the woman, and took her hair and shook it into the mess. "Better to blend in. Take 6th to Port road. There are taxis there. I recommend you take that all the way to where you are going."

The woman thanked her and ran off, as Artemis turned her attention to Robin, who was still fighting the men.

"HEY, DICKS!" The men turned to face her, even the boy... interesting. She supposed that if someone shouts hey, it gets attention... "You're on my turf now, so beat it, or I beat you." She pulled her string back, her aim was straight at the biggest guy in the group. The group laughed at the small girl, and the big guy made the mistake of turning to his friends and Artemis let the arrow fly. It stuck in the bend of his knee and he let out an anguished yell.

"Can't say she didn't warn you." Robin cackled and pulled at the crook next to him. Folding him over and to the ground, the guy had no problem getting up right away as Robin dodged his lazy punch.

Meanwhile Artemis launched at the other two who had their focus on her, and not the arrow in the leg. While they weren't as big as the Arrow-leg guy, they were still considerably bigger. Artemis was used to that, and she immediately started to pinpoint weak points in their armor. A fist came at her ear, and she knew it was coming before she saw it. She lowered her stance and punched under his arm, causing him to curl inward. His buddy was already trying to make his move as Artemis swiftly moved behind him, grabbing his arm behind his back and kneed him closer to take the punch intended for her. It landed straight in his stomach, as Artemis kept pulling his arm until she felt it pop. She kept his momentum going until he fell to the ground.

His buddy stared at her, eyes wide with shock as he realized she had taken down two of his friends, and Robin took down the third with a high kick to the head, and disappeared into the shadows.

" I highly suggest you get your friends and go see a doctor." Artemis suggested, picking up her bow again. She sauntered to the crook who still had the arrow in his knee and yanked it out as he yelled. "I need the arrow, I would hate to lose one to someone like you." She approached the end of the alley before drawing her bow at the last man standing.

"And just to be clear, if I ever see you again... I won't be as generous." The man grabbed his friends and quickly hustled the other way.

She was once again alone, this time with less than what she had before. Everything she felt before she jumped into that fight came rushing back, but with more fury. She sat in the alleyway, trying not to think about the cold, or the hunger. Artemis had no idea how long she had been there, but Robin had once again returned. Like the punch, she knew he was there before she saw him.

"Don't you have insane people to go fight or something, Bird Brain?" Artemis put on her defense. He may have been proclaimed a hero, but one couldn't be too careful.

"Bats will have my head for not being sneaky enough!" Robin exclaimed. "How'd you know I was here?"

"You can't live in Gotham's highest area of crime without being completely aware of your surroundings." She shrugged. "Are you going to show yourself, or are we going to play hide and seek like children?"

Robin emerged from the shadows, laughing, except this time he was in civilian clothing and dark sunglasses.

"I think most people would consider us children." Robin replied coolly, as he sat next to her.

"Give me a break, you and I lost the right to call ourselves children a long time ago." Artemis snickered.

"You're a really good fighter. That's why I took off, that and Bats needed me at... Well, I suppose it doesn't matter now. If I'm honest, I'm surprised I was able to catch you still here. I'm glad I did, Gotham could use more heroes like-"

"Like you, Bird Brain? I appreciate the offer, but you don't know anything about me. I'm the furthest thing from heroic, I'm just trying to survive." Artemis replied angrily, she was not a hero, not after everything her dad sent her to do.

"Jeez, no need for the 'tude!" Robin joked, then his expression became serious, "All I'm saying is that your actions tonight proved otherwise. Think on it," He stood up, and shook off the jacket he brought with him and handed it to Artemis.

Artemis awoke to the door swinging wide open, when she jolted awake she was on her feet and in a fighting stance before she knew where she was.

Sportsmaster walked in, eying his daughter. He just shook his head and growled "pathetic" under his breath.

"What the hell do you want?" Artemis asked, ignoring his comment about her.

"What I always want, for my baby girl to be fighting by my side." Sportsmaster took a couple of steps closer to her. " But I realize that that will take a bit for you to want, too. Of course, I don't trust you, so I'm not going to tell you all that I'm up to." He turned to walk out the door. Artemis lowered her fists in confusion, this was not like her dad... Not in the slightest, he was up to something and it meant that a lot of people were going to get hurt.

"Send him in, with the med kit. Baby girl, patch that up, will you?" He yelled back in her confined space, as they dragged in a man with a beard and pretty thin head of hair. Artemis scanned her new cell mate, and her eyes fell on his left hand and where a finger should be. Instead, blood just oozed from the stump.

Artemis cursed herself for saying this would be better than the streets. This was going to be hell, and this time... Well, she wasn't sure she could escape.

 **A/N: It's been a while and for that I'm sorry. I really want to be sure that they aren't OOC, which is still a possibility. I'm hoping that as soon as I get the story moving forward more it will come out faster. I've just been really busy between training, work, school and doctor's appointments like 3 times a week. However, this story gives me a chance to release and let go of some of that stress. I hope you guys enjoy it as well! Thank you to everyone who reviewed and who are following this story.**

 **I know it seems like traught, but it's a friendship. I'm hoping to have spitfire, but I'm not sure how to introduce it though**. **The only relationship that is for sure in here is the father/daughter bond between Ollie and Artemis.**


	3. Questionable Intentions

Artemis knew who the man was as soon as she got a good look at his features. He had a thin head of hair and a fairly thick beard. His face was beat up, with cuts and bruises over it, but she knew it was Oliver Queen. When his trial for being the Green Arrow was going on, it was all that was talked about on the streets. Of course there were mixed emotions that came along with the trial. Even though it was mainly around Star City, everyone had thoughts about it and debated on if he should be labeled a hero or be given the death penalty for his crimes. Some had actually started calling for Batman's head in Gotham.

Artemis grabbed the gauze from the first aid kit and gently held Queens hand in her own. She pinched down on the remaining part of the finger to stop the mostly done bleeding. He somewhat stirred at this, but he stayed unconscious. Dad must've drugged him too. _That doesn't pair well with bleeding..._ Artemis thought to herself.

Despite him having the whole "hero" label around him, Artemis was still unsure of him. After all, labels didn't mean much to her anymore. Her "father" was an egotistical maniac with a control complex who beat and trained his own daughters to be assassins.

Artemis lifted off her grip on his finger, and started to do her best to clean it out with the swabs in the kit. She grabbed the wrap, and wove it over his stump of a finger and around his hand. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do.

As she put the clip to secure the wrap, Oliver began to stir. He was fast at grabbing at Artemis's extended hand and flipped her over his body and pinned her to the ground. Artemis struggled under his weight on her chest, but she arched her back off the cold floor and put her left knee under his chest, while her right hooked around his and launched herself out of his grasp. Artemis quickly reached for the scissors in the med kit and pushed him down to his back pinning his arms with her legs and pushing the scissors against his throat.

"Woah, take a second... Orient yourself with where you are." Artemis waited until his breathing calmed. "I'm going to let go and we'll call this a truce. I'm not the enemy, I'm in the same boat as you, Your Highness."

Oliver nodded as a response, especially after realizing how young his opponent looked. She was definitely older than William, but as a father it was all the same. He let his body relax as a sign of good faith and the girl first threw the scissors of to the side and sat next to him. Suddenly everything came back to him, whereas before it was muddled.

 _Felicity is probably going out of her mind... I hope she is okay._

Oliver sat up slowly, rubbing his temples to try to ease the throbbing headache he had. He looked back at the girl to see her eying him suspiciously. And he refocused his attention to her.

"Thank you. I assume it was you who wrapped my hand?" The girl just nodded.

"Um. I'm Oliver Queen." He held out his hand, expecting her to shake it. Instead she just snorted and stood up.

" Yeah, no shit Sherlock." She muttered under her breath. The girl wandered to the scissors and sat near the door. Oliver took a good look at his new cell mate. She had long blonde hair that was pulled back in a ponytail, and stormy grey eyes. Her frame was thin and bony, but somehow muscular. Her body was young, somewhere around 15 years old, but her eyes told the story of someone much older.

They must have sat like that for hours, her eyes never left her cellmate.

"Artemis." She said, figuring that she had no one else and nothing else to hide anymore. Olivers eyes met hers in question. "My name, Your Highness. Don't look so surprised, at least I don't have to stare at you in silence this whole time. Knowing Sportsmaster, we will probably be stuck with each other for a while."

OoOoOoOoOo

William sat on his bed trying to understand what was going on now with his dad. Felicity was eyeing William with concern, waiting for a response as she sat beside him.

"So dad is missing and you have no idea where he is going? And they already decided to cut off a finger in front of you?" William was irate, and distressed at the new situation that his father found himself in. He always dreamed of heroes, like the Flash, but he never imagined feeling so... Hopeless over their fates. Felicity was looking down at her feet, ashamed that she couldn't have done more, she gave a slight nod to the boy.

"I'm so sorry, William. I wanted to be the one to tell you, I want to be honest with you and keep you updated. Even on the sucky bad things." Felicity said sadly. William pulled her in close for a hug.

"Thank you. Now let's find Dad, what do you know and how can I help?"

"Let's get back to the cave, we can find out a plan to get him back."

OoOoOoOoO

"So you know him? Any idea what the master plan is?" Oliver asked, of course when he heard Artemis, he was a bit taken aback. He couldn't help but think of Evelyn Sharp, and everything that happened with her. Unfortunately he couldn't save her from the darkness that consumed her, and despite being betrayed by her, Oliver still felt he could've done more for her. Artemis sighed, fiddling with the scissors.

"He's my father." Artemis eyed him for his reaction, expecting something. Anything from the man to indicate that he distrusted her, but Oliver's expression revealed nothing of what he was thinking. So Artemis continued, "I was on the streets of Gotham when he sent some of his people to get me. I don't know what he wants us for specifically, but it's to gain power and get money."

"Why were you on the streets?" Oliver quietly asked, and Artemis contemplated telling him. She ultimately decided to tell him her story because she had nothing to lose any more.

"I ran away from this. My sister did before me, she ran from him but not the life. And my mom... well, dad had enough of her so he made sure she was put away and can't walk anymore. I don't know who had enough first, my dad for me not following orders or me for not wanting to do the things he wanted me to do. So when the opportunity presented itself, I took off and he didn't try to search for me." Artemis took a breath before looking at Oliver.

"How do I know I can trust you? I've been here before, a troubled young girl makes me feel bad for the way her life is and I get tortured." Oliver asked her pointedly. Artemis shrugged, and that was the only answer she gave him.

The door opened and Artemis was already launched to her feet and slammed the scissors into the abdomen of the guard that came through the door, she yanked it out quickly and they staggered back in shock . She grabbed the man by the sleeve and slammed them into the door widening it. Oliver was on his feet too, heading toward Artemis when she was yanked out and the door slammed behind her, leaving him alone in the room with the panicked guard.

Artemis felt her weight be pulled into her father into what looked to be a mental hospital hallway. She dodged the first punch by an inch but the second one landed in her ribs and took the air out of her and the scissors clattered to the ground. Her body slammed against the wall, Sportsmaster holding her by her shoulders, his grin wide.

"Baby girl! Still got that fire in you, I see. It was never enough to beat me, though."

"You talk too much." She growled as she slammed her forehead into his chin. His grip loosened as she kicked him in the side, and she slid off to the side. Despite the blows she gave him, Sportsmaster tripped her feet and sent her to the floor. She could see the scissors right in front of her, but she was too slow. Her father pressed his boot into her outstretched hand. Artemis held in the scream of pain that radiated up her arm from the pressure. Sportsmaster grabbed the scissors and kneeled down, keeping his boot on her wrist. Her cheek felt the cold tile floor beneath her.

"I'm still your father, and I taught you everything you know. Don't you forget that." His voice was angry in her ear, as he opened the scissors wide and brought it to her back. Fresh blood followed the scissors as he dragged it across her back, when Artemis just groaned with pain he started a fresh line digging deeper this time. Finally she cried out and her dad threw the scissors down the hall.

"You're lucky I don't want to hurt you. Yet. I need you for something greater." He whispered in her ear, as he let off pressure on her arm. He nodded to the others to open the door as Artemis was yanked up.

The guard she stabbed was being pulled out of the room, when Sportsmaster put a hand out for them to stop.

Two of the bigger goons grabbed her arms and held her back, as he grabbed the scissors and pointed at her.

"Just know that you did this." He said to her, and her face paled.

"Wait, no... Don't you dare!" She yelled at him as the guards pushed her head to watch her father. "STOP!" The pair of scissors plunged into his chest and blood gurgled up his throat. Tears fell down Artemis's face, but her face wasn't sad. It was defiant and angry.

"You want me to fight for you? I will NEVER be your little pawn." Artemis spat at him. Sportsmaster looked amused.

"Funny, that's what your mom said before she fell. Don't make the same mistake she did."

Sportsmaster slammed his fist into her cheek, and she felt blood fill her mouth. Her head swam as they threw her back into the room. She landed on the floor, and stayed down as they slammed the door shut. After it was closed and she looked up and saw the worried look on Oliver's face.

"That was pretty stupid, huh?" She said sheepishly, she smiled blood pouring from her lips. Oliver walked to her and sat by her side and examined her wounds.

"I got a decent look outside." Artemis mumbled, her mouth feeling like cotton, as Oliver cleaned the blood off her back. "We aren't in Gotham, and as I expected we are in a mental hospital. I couldn't see many exits other then a stairwell down the hallway. Even if we could make it out of this room, the hallway is crowded with people. My dad wouldn't have that many guys... He's working with someone. Maybe the League of Assassins, and some other group. Whatever they have planned, it's got to be big."

Oliver stopped and looked at her quizzically.

"Seriously kid, you got beat up looking for all of that?"

"Oh... You're right, this is a cozy room. And we don't have to pay rent! What was I thinking, wanting to escape!"

Oliver chuckled lightly, and covered the wounds with leftover gauze tearing a piece off and taping it down. She turned to face him.

"Thanks."

He eyed where she got punched, and his expression turned dark.

"I'm going to kill him," Oliver growled, Artemis opened her mouth to respond but shut it quickly and hung her head down. "As a father you should be protecting them from things like this. You don't deserve this. I can't imagine William going through something like this, and doing it to him."

Artemis shrugged. "Sadly this isn't anything new to me. I always wondered what it would be like to be in a normal family." Artemis whipped a tear before Oliver even saw one fall. "Tell me about William, and about your family."

OoOoOoOoOo

"What do we have on him?" Felicity strolled into the Arrow Cave with William behind her. Curtis was in front of the computers and the rest of the team joined them in the center.

"Nothing's come up in the database yet. He's keeping a low profile. I'm scanning some of the other faces in the security tape, nothing so far either." Curtis filled Felicity in. Felicity's face fell slightly, she was hoping for something. Curtis continued, "But, I did more research on Lawrence Crock. He has two daughters: Jade and Artemis. Jade went off the grid a couple of years ago. Artemis was last seen yesterday in a Gotham corner store. His wife, Paula Crock is locked up in jail, erm... Blackgate Penitentiary."

Felicity sighed, and rubbed her forehead.

"It's our only lead. Grab what you need, we leave for Gotham in the morning."

 **A/N: Twice in one week! Woooooah, crazy! The more I write the more the story seems to fall in place and parts of it make sense to me. So I am thinking you will hear from me more often.** **Anywho... Got some questions for you guys.** **What did you think of the Evelyn Sharp storyline? I personally was disappointed** **And how are you guys feeling about the new season? I can't seem to get into it, unfortunately... :(**


	4. The Phoenix Project

The bulky blonde criminal sauntered into the open space in the abandoned warehouse. Already there was a gathering of the main players in the center. Going into it, Sportsmaster was annoyed. The man had promised results of the drug that was given to his baby girl. It would make her suggestable. Of course, it was _his_ baby girl. There was no one on the planet that she hated more than him, and it would take some time.

Artemis had a small, mostly insignificant role in The Phoenix Project. Sportsmaster would have rather had both his children by his side, but it was proving that that would not happen, not without a fight. A part of him swelled with pride at how strong willed they both were, he wanted to take credit for that. Only, it backfired. Jade and Artemis wanted nothing to do with him, one of them still going down the assassin path without him, and the other who would rather live on the streets of Gotham than be with him. Sportsmaster wasn't completely heartless, he would send some of his men to keep an eye on her. If he wasn't on a mission, he would do it himself.

"How much is in place, as we speak? Must I remind you, that in order for this to work all the pawns need to be in their proper place." A deep voice chided from the dark, a man stepped into the light. A voice so smooth and cool, with a strong power inside of it. It was enough to send chills among even the worst of them. The room was silent, and his voice echoed in the room, no one wanted to be the focus of his attention.

His features were delicately handsome, his nose long and prominent, with constantly changing eyes. If you looked close enough they would show images, as if they were showing another point in time. Some of battles, beautiful scenery and run down places. His hair was short and jet black and complemented his golden skin tone. Body slender and lanky, dressed up in a nice tuxedo, he stood tall when addressing the group, clearly thinking he was superior in every way.

"I'm getting the Bat Brat and Batsy cornered... Soon we won't have to worry about them!" The Joker cackled evilly, and Sportsmasters bones rattled. He didn't want to know what he had in store for those two. On par with others in the room, he was probably the least cruel. Sportsmaster had torturous methods and could be deadly, but Joker took it to a whole other level. Stories have come out about what he has done, mangled bodies found in torture rooms, every inch covered in blood.

"Good. Don't underestimate their power. One wrong move and they will take down everything we have planned." His voice was calm, but there was an underlying threat to his words. Sportsmaster stepped forward.

"Ra's assassins and I had a successful breakout. I currently have Oliver Queen in my hold, and await further instructions from you, Providence." He bowed his head to the man for good measure. Providence's eyes poured into his soul, reading for anything more.

"And your daughter?" Sportsmaster shook his head in disgust.

"She is... Uncompliant. But I am working on it, must take a bit for the drug to kick in."

"No. There are some reasons for this..." He paused, frowning at the word he was about to say, "Discrepancy. Either she has found someone else to influence on her, or she is stronger than you give her credit for, Sportsmaster." He then turned his attention to the entire group.

"I trust that everything is in place for when I tell you to follow through the plan. Maxwell Lorde, we need to be sure that Supergirl on your Earth is dealt with. Follow through with your part. Spread the word about the brawls, the more influence we have on the public, the better. This also means that we may have more of those _heroes_ to deal with," He spat out the word as if it was something completely vile that shouldn't be spoken. "Be vigilant." He shooed them all away.

"Sportmaster!" He called across the room. Sportsmaster stopped in his tracks to face the man, heart pounding in his chest. Despite the underlying panic he felt, he walked calmly to the man. "Your daughter will participate. So will Arrow, put them on the same team. Show them both that remaining true to their virtues will only result in punishment. The only option is compliance, and do not reward them with death." That last word sent a chill down his spine. There were worse things than death, that was for sure. Sportsmaster had his own ideas of that, he did not want to know what that meant for Providence. He gulped down the lump that had settled in his throat and hardened his expression.

"Yes sir," He mustered as much confidence as he could, not wanting to displease the man. Providence turned on his heel, and walked toward the other end of the warehouse, he lifted his left hand and snapped, disappearing, leaving Sportsmaster alone with his thoughts.

* * *

The room was dark and quiet for a while now. A bitter cold hung in the air, both of the prisoners huddled together. No doubt it was her father's way of trying to get what it wanted out of people. Sometimes lack of comfort piled with other tortures could make them more compliant. A lesson he taught her through using her as the example. Knowing that fact didn't change that Artemis was a bit too close for comfort, as was Oliver but the warmth of each other was too satisfying to stay the hell away. Once they settled their discomfort, the image almost looked protective and familial.

 _I haven't even known him for a whole day and here he is..._ Artemis was in disbelief at how quickly they had bonded. She was sure it _had_ to do with what her dad injected her with when his goons took her, but it wasn't just that. They bonded over their desires of family, and their shared misery. Artemis confided more with Oliver in the hours they spent talking more than she did with anyone in her whole life. The same went for Oliver, there were moments or thoughts that he wouldn't even tell Felicity. He never told anyone about his time spent with Prometheus, and how truly broken he was. Since then, the man had nodded off. Artemis couldn't blame him, the cold and the boredom of sitting there made her want to drift off too. She knew her father, and he would perceive her as even weaker than he already did.

She couldn't help but respect Oliver, amid his tragedy, he was still able to stand up and fight. Artemis felt like another tragic kid from Gotham, a place that chews up and spits out kids like her. When Robin had told her that she could do something more than just chase off the lowlifes on the streets, she laughed at the thought. Gotham had deeply rooted issues, there was no way that she could make a difference when the entire system was corrupt. Although she assisted in her own way, she looked out for the ones younger than her. They were skeptical of her, of course, it's hard to trust when everything is fair game on the streets. Artemis would leave food for them to find, and scared off whoever even dared to look at them twice.

Oliver's body tensed, and she knew it must be some nightmare. She gently tapped his shoulder.

"Hey, Queen?" Her voice was soft, and part of her wondered who he was to make her such a child again.

"Everything okay?" His eyebrows were knit. She grinned and nodded.

"Erm, yeah. I was going to ask you that, it seemed like you were stuck in a bad dream."

"It happens sometimes," Oliver sagged his shoulders, once again putting up his guard with the young girl. He changed the subject with a sigh "How long do you think we've been here?"

"Has to be a couple of days now. Which means we should be getting a visit from our favorite person sometime soon." Artemis scowled.

"Do any thinking on that plan while I was asleep?"

She shook her head.

"Nothing that'll get us out of here alive. You?" Oliver shook his head. "I'm sure Felicity is scouring the ends of the Earth to find you." Oliver smiled at that.

The door swung open with force and both archers were on their feet.

"Let's go, you might just be our prized champions. Better make me some money, Baby girl. You know how I get when I lose."

* * *

Gotham is not a pretty city, and Felicity thought she saw the worst in the Glades. She immediately felt out of place, as if she had a constant target on her back.

"No one ever comes to Gotham for fun, huh?" Dinah mused. Her nose scrunched up at the stench of the street. "Let's get off the street."

Felicity turned to the group.

"Dinah is right, we want to keep as low of a profile as we can. Dinah and I will question Paula Crock, the rest of you set up base in the hotel." Felicity felt as though she sounded more confident than she actually was. She was unsure if this was a lead or just a goose chase. The two groups went their separate ways.

The entirety of the drive to the prison, Felicity thought of Oliver and how he could be suffering. Dinah must have read the expression on her face.

"Oliver is a survivor." She said reassuringly. "And we don't give up, nor do we give in to those fears."

 **A/N: So if you have not heard by now, Arrow is being canceled after 10 episodes of season 8. I was, of course, really sad to hear about this. Arrow is a great show, despite some shortcomings that I saw (of course this is my opinion, don't get offended). Arrow has gotten me through some pretty fucking horrible times and gave me the courage to keep on fighting through the rough of it.**

 **With that said, Arrow may be canceled, but the influence is never gone. This entire fanfic is born from it (and YJ). There are countless other fanfictions across the entirety of the internet that Arrow will live on through. It is neverending.**

 **That is why despite all indications otherwise, I will be continuing this fic. Because despite it being officially over on the CW, I can continue to entertain and make you laugh, cry, cringe, and be totally intertwined with it as you would on the show. And I hope you get as much out of this fic as I do because I really enjoy writing it and dreaming about how I want it to go.**

 **I am very grateful to those who have liked and followed my story, you guys are the absolute best. I am always welcome to any suggestions and comments or *kind* criticisms you may have. Thank you for being so patient with me, as I know it has been awhile. Life is busy, writing fanfictions is not the most important role I play, even though I want it to be. So please try to be understanding if it takes a while for the chapters to come out. Much Love, Chrome Dove.**


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